Mahtab Uddin Ahmed

In Bangladesh, human resources (HR) often feel like driving a car without an engine—lots of noise, no progress. By 2030, 39 percent of core job skills will be obsolete, yet we’re stuck debating Excel training. Heads of HR, treated as attendance monitors, lack the tools to tackle this shift. Automation looms, poised to replace jobs faster than Dhaka traffic consumes patience. Without urgent reskilling, our demographic dividend risks becoming a liability. With machines learning faster than humans, the future won’t wait for us to catch up over endless cups of cha. It’s time to act before it’s too late.

A Moulana shared a viral story about his childhood friend, an eloquent speaker who became the Imam of a modern mosque in Dhaka.

Years ago, Karim, a skilled fisherman, had a secret trick to catch fish. He would quietly tap the water three times, toss some crumbs, and wait. Like magic, the fish always came.

One of my senior colleagues was a file-hoarding perfectionist, minutely checking every line before approving. His room looked like a paper factory explosion! He also believed everyone was out to stab him in the back, so he trusted no one. When the boss caught him delaying, he would pull a “Chatur from Three Idiots” -- “I didn’t do it!” -- triggering a blame game that turned the office into a daily soap opera of chaos and comedy! Often, I was on the receiving end of that blame game! Trying to be perfect in an imperfect world is like ironing your pyjamas -- hard work that nobody notices, and it’s a waste of time!

South Asia relies heavily on professional accountants for governance, financial transparency, and regulatory compliance and yet the availability of these experts is scarce.

Despite over a decade of investing in Bangladesh’s stock market, I have suffered a 40 percent loss even with a strategy focused on blue-chip shares since 2012. This experience highlights the structural issues plaguing our capital market -- low liquidity, lack of depth, and eroding investor confidence. Addressing these challenges requires bold, immediate measures grounded in global best practices tailored to local realities.

In the viral Millennial Job Interview, young applicant Amy brings an unconventional view of professionalism that confuses her interviewer. Listing Snapchat and Instagram as her “tech skills”, she dismisses traditional tools like Excel, labelling Facebook “for old people.”

Every year on November 10, the world recognises International Accounting Day, celebrating the essential role accountants play in ensuring financial stability and growth across economies.

Motivating employees is tantamount to convincing a fish to walk. While managers shout, “reach for excellence!” we reach for a cup of tea after braving Dhaka traffic to work. They say, “think big!” but our minds are counting down to the next public holiday. And “give it your best!” sounds great until someone realises “the best” had left at 5:30pm sharp. Let’s face it, the only motivation that really works here is Thursday afternoon, when we clock out and finally escape the inspiration overload!

Human resources (HR), once the department that handled payroll, kept track of who took more sick days (or less), and planned those awkward team-building retreats where you felt you would rather be anywhere else -- is now expected to do a lot more than just decorate artificial plants inside the office.

Bangladesh’s digital infrastructure services -- towers, fibre networks, submarine cables and data centres -- have all the potential but sadly, it is buried under layers of mismanagement and corruption.

The shift from “Digital Bangladesh” to “Smart Bangladesh” was like trying to drive a car without an engine — all talk, little substance. While we have made big claims on paper, the reality was far from impressive. While waving the “Digital Bangladesh” flag, we ranked 105 out of 132 in Global Innovation Index 2023 (Source: World Intellectual Property Organization).

It goes without saying that in national politics and even in the corporate world, one needs a godfather to survive and succeed. This godfather is not the kind that you find in movies, as in Marlon Brando. These come in the form of mentor guides and, let’s be real, they are the heavyweights who have your back.

We often say “a leader is as good as his team.” It is like making a perfect cup of tea -- sure, the leader might be the one pouring it, but without the right blend of tea leaves, sugar and milk, it is just hot water.

While being interviewed, Jamil was asked if he was ok with working overtime without extra pay, and he quipped, “I can, as long as you don’t expect results”, to which the interviewer laughed, acknowledging the playful exchange.

In a local company, two sales managers, Reaz and Mohsin, both graduates from the same university, faced a stark difference in their career paths.

Human nature has an innate tendency to escalate demands once an initial concession is made, and thus, the saying goes “If you let someone sit, he wants to eat; if you let him eat, he wants to sleep”.

In Bangladesh, gossip is a national pastime, both inside and outside the workplace. During tea breaks, or “cha breaks”, employees gather to exchange the latest news, often drifting from work-related topics.

On a hot, scorching day Asif’s office air conditioner broke down, with workers doing little and complaining more.

We have all been taught the virtues of honesty from our early childhood. Every child is instilled with the belief that truthfulness is the foundation of success and “honesty is the best policy”.